Technology is wonderful in most areas of our life. Yet there are some aspects where using advanced technology may not be the best route. There are times at work when we miscommunicate because of technologically-based assumptions. We assume that our emails went through, that our slides were attached, that the texts were received, or that… Continue Reading Tips for communicating effectively at work

On Valentine’s Day, of all days, I went to the mayor’s press briefing. Listening to the gripes of some journalists — do you really want the minute by minute calendar of the mayor? — I was struck by one participant who admonished the mayor that “the city is not a business.” It’s obvious that the… Continue Reading Should the city be run like a business?

Ever have a favorite television show cancelled despite there being plenty of good stories left to tell? Or how about a series with real potential but never getting the chance to flourish? These things infuriate TV viewers. But broadband, high-speed Internet should provide the answer, right? Mention the Internet, and the entrepreneurs among us see… Continue Reading New TV business models via the Internet and entrepreneurs

On Friday, my new computer arrived in the mail. And it is awesome –467 gig hard drive, 8 gigs of RAM, 3D NVIDIA screen resolution, an Intel 2.5 GHz processor … I couldn’t wait to set it up. So Friday night I tore open the box and started uploading all of the files from my… Continue Reading Is cloud computing good for your company?

We had an interesting experience this past summer. Wanting to see if we could lower our home phone and Internet bills, we called around to get quotes. One of the giant companies offered a great deal if we “bundled” our phone and Internet service, so we decided to give them a try. The deal didn’t… Continue Reading Customer service should be businesses’ primary concern

If you own a business you need sales, regardless of your industry or business model. Whether from new or repeat customers, sales bring in the cash that lets you stay in business. When sales aren’t doing so well, it’s easy to point at certain factors and say they’re to blame. Things like poor closing techniques… Continue Reading For consistent sales, use consistent business processes

It happened again today: I received another tearful call from a marketing director whose boss refuses to read her marketing analysis reports. Because he won’t read them, she is sure she’ll be fired. And her strategy for keeping her job is to prove her worth through creating even more spreadsheets and numerical analysis instead of… Continue Reading Love your data, but don’t overanalyze it

On Jan. 12, the following questions were e-mailed to Sharon L. Brown, chairwoman of the Board of Commissioners of the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department. As of press time no answers had been received. “1. What is the role of the RBD’s board and why is it constituted in the way it is? 2. What… Continue Reading Who’s in charge at the Regional Building Department?

Memo to: U.S. Business Community From: Human Resources Department Re: Hiring a U.S. President In response to your request to assess the candidates for the position opening in January 2013, we have put together a job description, and offer key points on the five major candidates seeking the position. Job description: While this position requires… Continue Reading Would you hire any of the candidates?

We have many hopes and points of view about trust in our teams. We want it, but often do not know how to get it. And if we get it, we often don’t know how to keep it. So what ends up happening is the we believe trust is possible, and wishfully think it will… Continue Reading Build lasting team trust